Berlin - Germany increased Monday its humanitarian aid for Zimbabweans, giving 1 million euros (1.3 million dollars) to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to supply hospitals.

The money is to be spent on rehydration fluids, infusion packs, antibiotics and protective clothing for staff treating cholera patients. The Red Cross is also to repair hand-powered water pumps to give more people access to clean drinking water.

Some 12,000 people have caught cholera and more than 500 have died of it in the Zimbabwean outbreak, according to UN data. The additional grant raises German aid to Zimbabweans this year, mainly via relief organizations, to nearly 6 million euros. (dpa)